GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
Best States to Be a Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary goes furthest in New Mexico — a $77,880 BLS median worth $81,696 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 126.4).
Which US states are best for a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors after cost of living and tax?
For a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks New Mexico #1: a $77,880 BLS median becomes $81,696 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 126.4). Florida ranks last ($51,386, index 79.5). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
New Mexico ranks #1 of 51 states for a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors. Index 100 = the average state; 126.4 means pay goes 26.4% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedEducational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | $77,880 | $2,546 | 92.2 | $81,696 | 126.4 |
| 2 | Alaska | $82,900 | — | 102.4 | $80,989 | 125.3 |
| 3 | Washington | $82,670 | — | 107.0 | $77,252 | 119.5 |
| 4 | California | $86,500 | $3,923 | 110.7 | $74,582 | 115.4 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $79,930 | $3,777 | 105.8 | $72,008 | 111.4 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $75,000 | $2,213 | 102.3 | $71,165 | 110.1 |
| 7 | Delaware | $74,070 | $3,548 | 99.8 | $70,658 | 109.3 |
| 8 | Texas | $67,900 | — | 97.1 | $69,959 | 108.2 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $80,470 | $3,965 | 109.9 | $69,613 | 107.7 |
| 10 | Maryland | $75,820 | $3,269 | 105.0 | $69,123 | 106.9 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $77,910 | $2,773 | 108.8 | $69,057 | 106.8 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $73,910 | $2,490 | 103.6 | $68,932 | 106.6 |
| 13 | Kentucky | $64,350 | $2,443 | 90.2 | $68,664 | 106.2 |
| 14 | Louisiana | $61,870 | $1,481 | 88.2 | $68,463 | 105.9 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $63,430 | — | 92.7 | $68,432 | 105.8 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $71,080 | — | 104.2 | $68,238 | 105.5 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $62,500 | $2,154 | 90.1 | $66,975 | 103.6 |
| 18 | Nevada | $66,710 | — | 100.0 | $66,724 | 103.2 |
| 19 | Arkansas | $59,770 | $2,123 | 86.9 | $66,309 | 102.6 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $58,960 | — | 89.0 | $66,278 | 102.5 |
| 21 | Ohio | $61,760 | $916 | 92.8 | $65,583 | 101.4 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $58,710 | $1,778 | 87.0 | $65,474 | 101.3 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $59,960 | — | 91.9 | $65,266 | 100.9 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $62,690 | $2,170 | 94.1 | $64,318 | 99.5 |
| 25 | Alabama | $59,570 | $2,714 | 88.8 | $64,011 | 99.0 |
| 26 | Vermont | $64,570 | $1,880 | 98.0 | $63,997 | 99.0 |
| 27 | Virginia | $67,660 | $3,091 | 101.1 | $63,864 | 98.8 |
| 28 | Georgia | $63,720 | $2,788 | 96.3 | $63,278 | 97.9 |
| 29 | New York | $71,610 | $3,334 | 107.9 | $63,265 | 97.9 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $64,600 | $2,904 | 98.6 | $62,559 | 96.8 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $60,340 | $2,134 | 93.7 | $62,087 | 96.0 |
| 32 | Iowa | $56,540 | $2,109 | 87.8 | $62,022 | 95.9 |
| 33 | Missouri | $58,040 | $1,847 | 90.8 | $61,875 | 95.7 |
| 34 | Indiana | $59,260 | $1,748 | 93.3 | $61,623 | 95.3 |
| 35 | Idaho | $60,320 | $2,315 | 95.5 | $60,742 | 94.0 |
| 36 | Colorado | $64,780 | $2,190 | 103.1 | $60,736 | 93.9 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $60,880 | $1,869 | 97.6 | $60,479 | 93.5 |
| 38 | Kansas | $56,590 | $2,358 | 90.1 | $60,212 | 93.1 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $55,520 | $1,766 | 89.5 | $60,063 | 92.9 |
| 40 | Oregon | $66,690 | $5,031 | 103.4 | $59,654 | 92.3 |
| 41 | Illinois | $62,420 | $2,949 | 100.0 | $59,496 | 92.0 |
| 42 | Michigan | $59,440 | $2,280 | 96.2 | $59,408 | 91.9 |
| 43 | Utah | $61,320 | $2,790 | 98.9 | $59,202 | 91.6 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $57,630 | $1,907 | 94.3 | $59,074 | 91.4 |
| 45 | Montana | $57,900 | $2,278 | 94.6 | $58,769 | 90.9 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $51,830 | — | 88.6 | $58,508 | 90.5 |
| 47 | Maine | $58,630 | $2,343 | 97.0 | $57,998 | 89.7 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $52,040 | $1,934 | 87.8 | $57,040 | 88.2 |
| 49 | Arizona | $58,250 | $981 | 100.7 | $56,884 | 88.0 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $61,730 | $3,161 | 110.0 | $53,268 | 82.4 |
| 51 | Florida | $53,140 | — | 103.4 | $51,386 | 79.5 |
"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 51 states for which BLS publishes a median for this occupation are ranked; suppressed cells are excluded, never set to zero.
Where does your salary go furthest?
Enter a salary and a state. We adjust for 2025 state income tax and the 2024 BEA cost of living to show your real, purchasing-power-equivalent pay — then rank every state.
In New Mexico, a $77,880 salary is worth about $79,475 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $4,595 (≈ top marginal 5.90% (upper bound)) · take-home $73,285 · BEA cost of living 92.2 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $87,915, a $8,440 gain over New Mexico.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $87,915 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $86,088 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $85,644 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $85,625 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $85,368 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $85,357 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $84,772 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $84,447 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $84,021 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $83,296 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $82,925 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $82,825 | 89.5 |
Estimate only. State income tax is approximated from each state's 2025 flat rate (or top marginal rate as an upper bound for graduated states) and ignores federal tax, deductions and credits. The pre-published occupation and state pages use exact 2025 bracket math. Cost of living is the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity (All Items).
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, New Mexico is the best state for a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors: a BLS median of $77,880 is worth $81,696 after the 2025 state income tax ($2,546) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 92.2), an index of 126.4 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. California has the highest headline BLS median for a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors at $86,500, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #4 of 51 on real pay (index 115.4). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary go least far?
- Florida ranks last of 51 states for a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors: a $53,140 BLS median is worth only $51,386 after tax and cost of living (index 79.5). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
Compare other occupations
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Related on GeraJobs
- Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked — and how the index is calculated.
- Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
- Browse US jobs with salary ranges — roles hiring now.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates, US federal public domain); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (All Items), by state (2024 (US = 100)); Tax Foundation — 2025 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. The Gera US Real Pay Index for a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.